Max Verstappen's Silverstone Shocker: What Red Bull Needs to Fix for Race Day
Max Verstappen believes that there is “work to do” for himself and Red Bull after the opening day of track action at the British Grand Prix, with the Dutchman ending Friday in P7 on the timesheets. Despite showing early promise in the second practice session on medium tyres, the reigning world champion struggled to maintain that pace when he switched to the soft compound tyres. Lando Norris eventually set the fastest lap in FP2, leaving Verstappen to reflect on what went wrong.
As he made his first attempts on the soft compound, Verstappen initially went quickest, but things quickly took a downturn. His RB20 couldn't harness the grip needed on the softer rubber, a situation that he acknowledged with typical candor. “It didn’t go so well on the softs,” he admitted. “In FP2, the medium looked a bit better. So yeah, a bit of work to do.”
The Dutchman also had a hairy moment at Chapel, nearly losing control of the car, but he managed to keep his composure. “It was okay. It was just a little slide, so I aborted the lap there,” he said. What stood out was his pragmatic approach to these hiccups, emphasizing the need to analyze the data from FP1 and FP2 to identify improvements ahead of Saturday's sessions.
Weather Woes
Adding another layer of complexity to Red Bull's predicament is the unpredictable weather forecast for the weekend. Friday's session ended with a brief shower, and with rain expected on Saturday, the team has to be versatile with their setup. Verstappen didn't seem overly concerned but acknowledged the necessity of flexibility. “Yeah, we tried a few things so we now just need to analyse all of that,” he said, pointing out that potential rain would need to be taken into account.
Perez's Perspective
On the other side of the Red Bull garage, Sergio Perez also had a mixed day. Having missed FP1 to allow rookie driver Isack Hadjar some valuable track time, Perez had limited track time to dial in his setup. However, he ended FP2 in P3, proving that even with a truncated practice schedule, he was capable of competing with the frontrunners.
Perez described FP2 as a “solid session,” considering he missed out on FP1 entirely. “It was good, [the] car is feeling good,” the Mexican said. He still identified some balance issues, especially in low and medium-speed corners, but remained optimistic about finding solutions overnight.
Giving up his seat in FP1 was a mandatory call, and Perez acknowledged the challenges it brought. “It feels like a very complicated session because there is a lot that comes to you. You’re straight away going to performance and into high fuel.” Such circumstances could easily result in wrong decisions, particularly in Silverstone's ever-changing weather conditions.
Team Dynamics
Despite the setbacks, the internal dynamics of Red Bull appeared strong, with both drivers looking to iron out issues collaboratively. Perez praised Hadjar, stating, “Hadjar did a very good job for the team.” Both drivers' candid assessments indicate that while immediate fixes are required, Red Bull has the talent and teamwork to tackle these obstacles head-on.
The British Grand Prix weekend is notorious for its unpredictability, both on and off the track. For Red Bull and its star drivers, this means pulling together to analyze data, tweak setups, and remain nimble in the face of changing conditions.
The race at Silverstone is crucial, not only for the championship points but also as a testament to the team's adaptability and resilience. Verstappen and Perez's collective experience and insights will be vital as they look to turn Friday's challenges into Sunday's victories. As every F1 fan knows, race weekend is a marathon, not a sprint, and the most strategic and adaptable teams often come out on top.